What's Love Got To Do with it?

What's love, but a second hand emotion? What's love got to do with it? Who needs a heart, when a heart can be broken... Right??  WRONG!! Only in the world... would "Love" be seen/used as a "second hand emotion." Only in the world can a heart broken. And this also applies to just allowing your heart to be broken by the things that breaks God's heart. I hope you guys are following me with this.

So, what is love? The answer to that is quite easy. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16 King James Version Hmmm... seems so...cliche... And when I say that I mean... It's like an automatic answer. One of the most popular scriptures from the Bible. But hey, why not... that gives Hope to the hopeless... if one could find a morsel of strength to believe in Christ they won't perish, but indeed live forever through Jesus the Christ.

So, what is love and how does the Bible define it? 
1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 Amplified version "Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God's love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]."

The Message version of 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 says, "Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn't want what it doesn't have. Love doesn't strut, Doesn't have a swelled head, Doesn't force itself on others, Isn't always "me first," Doesn't fly off the handle, Doesn't keep score of the sins of others, Doesn't revel when others grovel, Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, Puts up with anything, Trusts God always, Always looks for the best, Never looks back, But keeps going to the end."

Wow, love is a lot of things. By the looks of it, one could say... Love truly does not hurt. There is a huge difference between lust and love. Worldly "love," is to know the god of this world, which in essence is to know true lust. However, Godly love is to know our Father in Heaven, now He.... IS true love.
1 John 4:7-10 The Message version "My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn't know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can't know him if you don't love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they've done to our relationship with God."

God suffered the ultimate pain because.... He loves us SO much, he wants to be able to have a relationship with us. Love is sacrifice, if you ask me. Jesus sacrificed His life for US. God sacrificed is only begotten Son for US! What can WE sacrifice to prove our love? Time, money, [wordly] RELATIONSHIPS, ~food~, social networking sites!! :-o [I choose to SPEAK LIFE and allow God to use me as a tool to reach others through the WORLD WIDE WEB! And, man...God has definitely been taking advantage of that! lol ] there's so much we could sacrifice. How about we.... sacrifice our lives!! Yes, give your life to the Lord. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 the Amplified version says, "Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received [as a Gift] from God? You are not your own, You were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and paid for, made His own]. So then, honor God and bring glory to Him in your body." WE were bought with the PRECIOUS, SPOTLESS, MATCHLESS, POWERFUL blood of OUR savior JESUS THE CHRIST!

So let me put it in layman terms, to be saved is NOT a feeling, or just reciting a prayer... it is a lifestyle, loving the things God loves and HATING sin! A renewing of the mind if you will. 2 Corinthians 4:16 Amplified version says "Therefore we do not become discouraged (utterly spiritless, exhausted, and wearied out through fear). Though our outer man is [progressively] decaying and wasting away, yet our inner self is being [progressively] renewed day after day."Coming from the heart, giving my life to the Lord was the BEST decision I have ever made! My life has made a complete 180 turn and I have SO much joy in my heart! God has loved on me so much, and in turn I want to SHARE that love with the WORLD... God's love, His unfailing love :-D

So the 2 words of this new year are: Love & Sacrifice!
Prove your love to God! Share the love of God with the WORLD!

I don't know about you, but I WANT TO BE USED BY MY HEAVENLY FATHER!! USE MEEE!! I'M AVAILABLE TO YOU MY GOD!!! I WANT TO PROVE MY LOVE!!

♥ Mari